


Stolen Moments

by scottxlogan



Series: Holiday Prompts [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Holidays, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Light Angst, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Strangers, Time Travel, shameless flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28424391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scottxlogan/pseuds/scottxlogan
Summary: On New Year's Eve in 1999 Tony Stark is about to enter into a new journey in his life, but before that begins a sexy, enigmatic stranger offers him a brief detour.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Series: Holiday Prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081943
Comments: 14
Kudos: 37





	Stolen Moments

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wolfsheart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfsheart/gifts).



> This was written as part of the holiday fic challenge. The challenge was Fairy Lights (which I may have skimped on a little bit here lol) and it was given to me by Wolfsheart.
> 
> This is my first time writing anything for this particular ship, so please keep that in mind while reading. I hope you enjoy this little fic as it was a fun adventure to write :)

**_1999, Bern, Switzerland, New Year’s Eve Party_ **

****

The hustle and bustle of the holiday party was always a bore for Tony Stark. Granted, he’d known he’d been obligated to make his appearances at them, say a few words, give a speech and then be on his way. Time and time again he had been the life of the party, but this year for his New Year’s celebration, he’d found himself being anything, but cordial. His eyes had been glued to the bar wondering if he should drown himself in a good tequila long enough to find reason to enjoy the atmosphere. It was the same every year—model wannabes and top-level execs all looking to schmooze him into a merger with them via the boardroom or the bedroom and quite frankly he was bored with it all the same. Sure, this year there were prospects he’d weighed out heavily or more specifically in the form of the beautiful, brilliant Maya Hansen, but even she seemed to slip out of his reach into the chaos a short while ago undoubtedly schmoozing as well as part of her social obligations.

_Social obligations_ , Tony thought to himself knowing full well that he’d grown tired of them. It stopped being fun years ago as he’d burned through the insipid women and thirsty, vapid men who wanted him for what he could do for them. Each one had a dream—to be a star, to be a model, to have the world at their feet provided by his prestige and fortune, but each one left him unfulfilled, lacking in any real kind of challenge as it seemed they were all indistinguishable. A different face, a different name, but the story was all the same. Granted the details were slightly altered and rearranged around just enough to spice up the pattern, but at the end of it all in Maya’s absence the top shelf alcohol provided to add spirit to the gala had served up as a more satisfying partner.

Clenching the crystalline glass in his hand, Tony raised it to his lips fully anticipating the inevitable speech he would give to his guests at midnight—to the supporters who had helped Stark Industries in their rise to power through the years. It was the same blah, blah, blah unless, somehow, he could find his way to loophole that would provide a more satisfying conclusion to the terrible year, he’d put behind him. If he was honest, his life was a mess. His head was in constant turmoil reliving the loss of his parents again and again, keeping it etched into his mind like a tattoo imprinted deep in his subconscious to the point that not even the toughest form of intoxication could erase it. It ate away at him, leaving him with a darkness that he’d fought like hell to compensate for in his bravado. To the rest of the world he was wild and carefree, reckless and a smart ass, but it had all been part of the brand—part of what the world expected from Tony Stark. He’d made it through another year, amassed more upon his growing fortune and he would continue his climb as long as it kept him locked away from the truth in himself.

“That’s it,” Tony announced over the buzzing voices of the crowd. He raised his glass over his head, swishing the liquid around when he addressed the party with a boisterous cheer, “Next round is on me.”

His words were met by celebration, but it did nothing to arouse any kind of interest in the party at hand for Tony. With each passing moment, he found himself stuck inside his head, caught up in sheer boredom without a readily available distraction to tempt him away from his dark thoughts.

“Screw this,” Tony mouthed to himself vowing that being a party pooper was the last thing he wanted to do on such a night. He’d rather be buzzed if it meant keeping him from places he simply didn’t want to go to. He made one more half-hearted attempt to seek out Maya, but when he came up empty, he decided it was time for a change of plans.

Instead he made the long walk over to the bar ready to be seduced by his latest enticing mistress. He could almost feel her hold upon him as the promise of intoxication was enough to keep him pushing forward—to get lost in her splendid beauty long enough to pretend that any of this mattered. If he could simply get through the night, then he could ring in another shitty new year filled with an even emptier sense of shallow expectations upon him.

Yes, she would be a good distraction indeed, Tony decided knowing no matter who he took to his bed that ultimately, she always got the best of him. When she was in his hands the world was his oyster. Anything was possible with her by his side, encouraging him, tempting him, seducing him to simply embrace the wild ride that surrounded him. She was alluring in every way imaginable, well within his reach, ready to corrupt him and drag him all the way down to his own personal hell when the demons worked their wrath down upon him.

“Bartender!” Tony called out to the man behind the counter, snapping his fingers knowing full well that the man would readily bend to his will. They all did given that he was Tony Stark and no one dared question Tony Stark. Soon he would be reunited with her and the world around him would fade into obscurity again leaving him lost in sensation and the feel of the carefree character he’d so masterfully crafted for the rest of the world.

The bartender simply nodded already knowing going to work to satisfy his employer readily providing his choice of beautiful poison. She was his temptress and imagining her on his lips, Tony found himself oddly comforted by the warmth she would provide him on this frigid, miserable night surrounded by those he’d rather push out of his life.

“Long night tonight, now isn’t it?” a sultry, seductive voice lulled in the back of his ear, pulling him from his self-loathing thoughts of a drunken stupor. With the words came the soft brush of a slender, muscular arm against his, the cool brush of the unknown pressed up against him in offering him another choice, “An excessive amount of warm bodies in the room, yet the embrace of a frigid chill surrounds you on such an occasion.”

“It’s the party of the century. What’s not to love?” Tony answered with bravado in his tone, ready to lay out the charm on the next potential candidate for a bedmate seeking out his attention. With the smooth, suggestive sound of the man’s voice, there was a possibility for him to fit the bill to inspire Tony to go off to a private room to engage in naughty delights, but to truly weigh in on his probable applicant, Tony would have to give him a full appraisal.

Perhaps after a full perusal and a few rounds of alcohol Tony would be tempted to make the man feel special, to pretend that their exchange somehow held relevance in both of their lives. Of course, if he played his cards right, he was certain that at the very least he would impact his companion’s life in ways he’d probably spent the rest of his days talking about. That was usually how it went. However, before Tony could follow through on the same song and dance, he found himself met by the most mesmerizing green eyes he’d ever seen. They sparkled with mischief, swirling with temptation as the pale, languid man at his side pushed between Tony and the sparse space against the crowded bar.

If the reckless, high energy of the crowd was a sign of the things to come with the mood in the room, the man beside Tony was the exact opposite of the loud, rowdy wannabes seeking out Tony’s attention. Instead his new companion was poised and graceful, coming off as almost bored when he sauntered into position beside Tony. His wore a neutral, distanced expression on his beautifully sculpted face, simultaneously looking as if was from another time and place yet somehow as if he belonged there and it was in that moment with the tall, exotic dream before him that Tony was determined that his companion was exactly what Tony needed to bring in the New Year on a high note.

“There are abundantly unsavory things about this shameless congregation,” his companion waved his hand around in the air dismissively, as if the feel of the crowd was beneath him, as if the party itself was beyond a trivial source of boredom for him.

Instead of embracing the raucous energy of the crowd, he stood beside Tony with a faint, teasing grin upon his soft, ever so kissable lips. With that smirk, Tony found himself forgetting about the things that he’d contemplated before. So much for his drink and the empty evening with Maya. Instead he found himself faced with a deliciously wicked challenge now that his interest had finally been perked. Leaning in closer to the man beside him, Tony flashed him his brightest, most winning, flirtatious grin knowing it was only a matter of time before the handsome, enigmatic man beside him took the bait.

“What do you say we work on changing that?” Tony questioned invading his companion’s space, “I know a place far more titillating than this one.”

“Is that right?” his companion challenged with a perfectly arched brow. He stood taller, hovering over Tony when the light caught him in just the right way to capture the beauty of his expertly sculpted features. He was beautiful no doubt—a work of art in ways that Tony hadn’t anticipated discovering when the stranger had walked into his life. Somehow it seemed that the party gods were working a number over him in doing him a favor as he offered his arm to the sexy stranger.

“We can play a game of I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours?” Tony flirted slanting in nearer to the beautiful man at his side.

“I’d rather not engage in such inconsequential activities on a night such as this,” the man at his side wrinkled his ever so perfect nose, causing it to twitch as it scrunched up making him look all the more enticing in his reaction.

_Ah an initial rejection,_ Tony thought to himself with a wide grin realizing that shots had been fired. The challenge was now on as the man made no move to leave his side. Instead he stood beside Tony watching him with curious eyes as if he, too, was anticipating Tony’s next move.

“What do you say? Shall we go for a walk?” Tony spoke up suggestively, hoping like hell that the man at his side would be too tempted to refuse him.

“I’ve been warned about you Anthony,” his companion laughed, throwing his head back just enough to reveal the long, exotic curve of his sensual neck. The smooth skin revealed to Tony caused his pulse to race and his imagination to surround him with all the erotic images of what a night with this man could do to rejuvenate his mundane life all over again. It was then that Tony was determined to have him no questions asked, “You have quite the reputation.”

“Perhaps you should stop listening to the nasty rumors and find out for yourself just what kind of trouble I can be,” Tony suggested moving in closer to his companion all the while closing in on his personal space. He reached out to touch the sleeve of the man’s dark jade colored silken suit, finding himself enamored by the man before him, “What do you say?”

“Perhaps next year we can continue this conversation,” his companion teased with an amused twinkle in his eye. He leaned forward, deliberately closing in on the gap between them when Tony found himself curving up towards the man, hoping more than anything to sample a taste of the sweet, soft, supple lips before him, “as I’m afraid I haven’t the time to exchange in such carnal pleasantries with you. Regrettably you are not a part of my journey this evening.”

“But…” Tony frowned feeling the man withdraw from him, simply gliding away from the bar as if he hadn’t been touched by Tony’s presence.

_Perhaps he hadn’t,_ a voice in the back of Tony’s mind taunted.

The bartender returned to his place across the bar from where Tony was standing in offering Tony his regular companion for the evening. With the drink in his hand, the bartender hoped to recapture Tony’s attention, but in his companion’s exit, he was entranced by the man who’d simply walked away without so much as a second glance.

“Did you see that?” Tony questioned more so to himself as he tried to rationalize how it was that he’d struck out so pitifully with the man who’d walked into his life.

“Excuse me sir?” the bartender questioned stretching his arm out closer to Tony again.

“That is not how this is going to end. Not without a fighting chance,” Tony decided puffing his chest out as the man who’d lingered beside him moved through the crowd, slipping further from his line of vision with each gliding move he made.

“Your drink sir,” the bartender held the glass out to him, but it was no use. The damage had already been done. His mind was made up. He had no time for old comfort when the new mystery moved across the party, weaving through the buzzing guests to make his way to the balcony far from where Tony wanted him to be, “Sir?”

“Keep it,” Tony waved his hand dismissively, not bothering to look back as he found himself faced with a new titillating challenge ahead of him.

* * *

“You don’t take rejection gracefully, do you Anthony?” the stranger’s seductive voice questioned as Tony walked out onto the balcony armed and ready to persuade his companion to change his mind about him.

There underneath the gold and green twinkling overhead lights, the mood felt almost magical as there was something surreal about the encounter. Unlike the atmosphere earlier in the night back at the bar, the balcony had set the tone for the holiday with its faint holiday music playing in the background. The festive overhead lights offered up a warm contrast to the chilly night that surrounded them coming off like a secret woodland hideaway tucked just beyond the layers of concrete as the fading music from the party was transformed to something serene and peaceful welcoming the impending new year on such a beautiful night. The patio had been cleared out leaving Tony and his companion to a teasing taste of true privacy with most of the other guests inside ready to begin the countdown to the promise of a New Year, wrapped up in hopes and dreams for a brighter future. Each one of them had an agenda, but they all paled in comparison to Tony’s new mission to seduce the sexy stranger underneath the moonlight before him.

“See now this is where you and I have a difference of opinion,” Tony began striding over to the stranger with a sense of false bravado. On the inside he was uncertain—a trait that was rare with him when dealing with a potential bedmate, but this man—this beautiful specimen before him was something entirely different. There was no doubt about it as Tony’s hungry eyes issued the stunning man a thorough perusal, “I don’t see it so much as rejection, but more so a case of misinformation.”

“Oh?” his companion questioned, practically tickled in his tone when Tony moved over to the railing beside him.

“That’s right,” Tony clarified systematically rolling his shoulders back and puffing out his chest as if he was armed for the greatest battle of his life, refusing to come out of it as anything, but a winner, “because as it stands there are horrible, revolting rumors going around about me at this very party that are entirely untrue.”

“Then you aren’t in fact worthy of your atrocious reputation as an incorrigible heartbreaker?” his companion questioned again, delivering him an opportunity to deny the claims made against him.

“I neither accept nor refute it as there were never hearts involved in my previous dalliances,” Tony paused drawing heavy emphasis to his words, “Until you of course.”

“Of course,” his companion played along, leaning in closer to Tony as the drink his companion held in his hand became a source of great envy for Tony. Observing the way that his companion’s long, slender fingers gently stroked the delicate glass caused Tony’s thoughts to travel to another far more inappropriate place where they were wrapped up in one another, intertwined in the idea of true pleasure that they could only experience with one another.

“You have no idea the ways in which I could change your world tonight,” Tony blurted out finding himself caught up in the fantasy when the sexy stranger leaned in closer yet.

“I’m not really in the mood for my world changing,” his companion divulged with a sardonic smirk. Something flashed behind his bright green eyes and his lips parted as if he was weighing out his thoughts before he spoke up once again in a low, sultry tone, “but what I am seeking out, I’m afraid is something that someone like yourself would be unable to provide.”

“You never know until you try me,” Tony piped in once again, determined to win this round in getting what he wanted.

“Do those sophomoric antics often get you what you desire Anthony?” his companion questioned reaching out across the cool, metallic balcony railing to brush those long, magical fingertips over the bottom of Tony’s bicep, gently skimming across the dark sleeve of his suit.

“Most of the time yeah,” Tony replied suddenly feeling like a blubbering idiot instead of the genius he was with the man at his side, daring him to prove his worth. Somehow in his bravado, he could see he was striking out horribly as he wasn’t dealing with a dimwitted pretty boy or an ambitious model type. This man before him was an altogether different kind of challenge. 

“Give me one reason why I should entertain such juvenile notions from someone as insignificant as yourself,” his companion further challenged with flirty undertones in his voice, “Why should I deviate from my course of action to indulge your carnal desires?”

“Who said anything about carnal desires? I was merely inviting you to accompany me to a quieter place so that we could get to know one another without the crowd,” Tony softened his tone, attempting to come off as less eager and more sincere, “Is that really so wrong?”

“You tell me,” his companion replied raising his glass to his lips, once again making Tony even more envious of the damned crystal.

“It’s just…” Tony stopped himself as it was clear that the night around them was anything, but the norm for a New Year’s Eve bash. Granted the crowd inside was still rocking out the remains of the year about to be swept behind them as the countdown hadn’t truly began. They were drinking and dancing, living life to the fullest while Tony was practically alone on the large, private balcony gazing into the most beautiful eyes he’d ever observed. There was something so enchanting about them, so inviting that he knew he couldn’t escape their hold upon him. Even now with the stranger’s hand upon his sleeve, he realized he hadn’t wanted to run away. Instead he’d been filled with a sense of urgency and a need unlike any other as he felt his companion’s fingers press into his arm gently.

“Yes Anthony?”

“It’s just that I…” Tony stopped himself knowing that any sense of suave had slipped away from him as soon as he’d opened his mouth, “There’s just something about you…”

“Of course, there is,” his companion teased leaning in closer yet as he appeared to be offering Tony the opportunity to redeem himself in the exchange before truly bombing out, “but what is that precisely that you seem to see in me?”

“You’re by far the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen,” Tony revealed surprising himself with the candidness of his words. It had to be the alcohol he’d taken in earlier in the day. It had to be why he felt compelled to reach out to the man at his side. Then again perhaps it was the twinkling lights above and the atmosphere providing the beauty of the world that surrounded him. How he’d never noticed it before when he was in the party drinking drinks with the others—when he was doing what he did best in schmoozing the world around him and making them fall in love with the idea of Tony Stark. It was all so simple and yes so far from something real, but this…this was different.

“I’m sure you frequently express that untruth to all the unfortunate souls who cross paths with you Anthony,” his companion reached out to touch the side of his face, bringing with it a cool, lingering touch that caused goosebumps to form upon Tony’s skin. Tony swallowed down hard, finding himself swept up in his companion’s touch, in the way his head tilted down indicating that he, too, was fascinated by the challenge that Tony had presented him.

“Admit it,” Tony moved forward in a brazen attempt to bring them closer to one another, “you’re intrigued to learn more.”

“I’m quite educated on all that you are,” his companion flashed him a mischievous smirk, “but I’m afraid as much of a delight as this might be for us to engage in with one another, fate has other plans for you tonight.”

“Plans can be changed.”

“These, unfortunately, cannot,” his companion sighed sliding his long, elegant fingers into Tony’s messy dark hair. Gently stroking the soft, dark locks his companion released a small exhale of breath. It created a cloud of vapor beyond where it had escaped his perfect lips, but with the movement came a sense of poignant contemplation, “but perhaps in another life—at another time we can rewrite the script with one another.”

“Don’t go.”

“It isn’t that simple,” his companion sighed appearing truly forlorn in their situation, “I’m needed elsewhere tonight.”

“Then let me take care of it for you. Tell me who to call and consider yourself free,” Tony spoke up desperately leaning into the man’s touch, “I’ll tell them that you’re mine for the night and…”

“Another untruth from those beautiful lips of yours,” his companion sighed, this time revealing true regret in his tone.

“Give me your name, your sign, give me something to work with here,” Tony pleaded coming off as desperate in his attempts to reach for his companion.

The winds kicked up around them, causing the winter breeze to sweep down upon them and create a chill that tickled Tony down to the tips of his toes. For a moment Tony considered asking his companion to accompany him back into the party, but instead he felt the man beside him lean in closer, his gaze gravitating to Tony’s lips—caught up in silent contemplations, stewing over Tony’s request. Instead of answering, he merely cupped Tony’s face in his hands, guiding Tony’s head up towards his. Their lips met in a slow, gradual tease, brought together in the lightest of touches as Tony’s arm impulsively curled around the man’s slender waist. With a low vibration on the tip of his tongue, Tony steered the man in against him, squeezing him tightly as the man beside him tasted of sweet nectar and desire. Their lips teased and collided, deepening the kiss and causing everything inside of Tony to melt at his touch, at his mystery companion’s taste and just as soon as he found himself giving in, another wind swept over the both of them causing his companion to pull away with a deliberate, playful smirk curling over his perfectly delectable lips.

“Tonight, your life is going to change Anthony. Although I never imagined that I would be here to witness it before now,” his companion’s eyes glistened with perhaps a hint of regret. His long, elegant fingers grazed over the center of Tony’s chest, tenderly pressing into its muscled warmth as if to lock the memory into the back of his mind—to cage it in some place that it would stay forever buried beyond this night they shared, “Oh how I do regret having to leave you this way.”

“So then stay,” Tony suggested hugging his companion closer to him, “Ring the New Year in with me the right way. We can leave this party and go back to my room where…”

“This is where you belong,” his companion sighed reaching out to caress his face again, “This is where you were always meant to be, but I, on the other hand, have bigger plans beyond this moment stretched out into something greater that extends beyond the both of us.”

“Nothing can be bigger than this,” Tony flirted attempting to appeal to him once again, “Spend the New Year with me. Let’s make something more than the trivial bullshit I’ve left behind in that party. We both know that neither one of us belong in there.”

“This is who you were always meant to be,” his companion sighed withdrawing from the touch, “I’m merely an intrusion upon your life that one day you will wish hadn’t happened upon you here and now.”

“I don’t believe that for a second. You’ve been the first breath of life that has entered my world in a very long time,” Tony spoke up in an impassioned tone, “I realize that it might sound like a line, but…”

“You will forever be one of my favorite humans dear Anthony,” his companion smiled poignantly, “Please never forget that.”

Before Tony could respond, he felt his companion step away leaving in his absence a chill that cut Tony down to the core surrounding him with a sense of longing. He attempted to reach out for the stranger, but he was well beyond his reach as Tony called out to him again.

“Will I ever see you again?” Tony questioned weakly, desperate to sample another taste of the man before him.

“Perhaps,” his companion paused long enough to turn and look back over his shoulder. His green eyes sparkled with something Tony couldn’t quite understand as his lips curved upward into the most unforgettable smile Tony had ever experienced in his life.

“I don’t accept that,” Tony declared taking a bold step forward to bridge the distance between him and his companion. He knew it was a risk, but one worth taking as he found himself on the verge of losing sight of the one thing that had felt real in his mundane life, “Leaving it to chance isn't enough for me.”

“Then we shall have to hope the fates have decided upon it,” his companion decided taking a graceful step forward to close the gap between them. He reached out to touch the side of Tony’s face, stroking Tony’s cheek in an affectionate, tender gesture.

“And if they have?” Tony questioned leaning into his would-be lover’s touch. With the gentle ease, he found himself drowning in temptation, ready to be swept away by the man beside him.

“Then all I ask is should our paths ever cross again that you do your best to save me from myself,” his companion confessed in a low, quiet tone. His voice quivered for a brief, faltering second before he fell to silence leaving Tony haunted by the words in ways he hadn’t quite realized.

“You hardly come off as one in need of saving,” Tony teased reopening his eyes to discover the sadness in his companion’s beautiful face. It was there surrounded by shades of regret and perhaps fear, but just as soon as it revealed itself to Tony, the mask had returned leaving Tony with more questions than answers.

“On most occasions perhaps not, but should the time arise keep my words in mind,” his companion explained skimming his fingers over the surface of Tony’s skin again. He inched in closer, leading Tony to believe that their lips would meet in another tantalizing union, but instead his companion pulled away severing the connection at last.

“But...” Tony began watching the stranger move across the balcony, retreating to the double doors of the party within. His decision had been made and as he reached for the door handle, pausing long enough to look over his shoulder at Tony with a poignant breath upon his lips.

“Goodbye Anthony,” his companion offered one last glimpse that caused Tony’s pulse to quicken before the man walked back into the party leaving Tony alone in the cold.

“No,” Tony shook his head and frowned, knowing full well that inaction would be the biggest mistake of his life. Letting the stranger walk away was wrong. He could feel it in his bones and as he moved forward, Tony was determined to find a way to change his mind. He would find a way to prove himself.

“You’re not walking away that easy,” Tony decided stomping over to the double doors and throwing them open with great bravado. His eyes scanned the party, seeking out any sign of his companion when a familiar voice hit him harder than expected.

“Look who I found,” Happy’s boisterous, laughing voice announced as Tony turned to the side to discover his old friend with the beautiful brunette at his side that Tony had on his arm most of the night, “We thought you’d disappeared on us before the real party started.”

“I was…” Tony looked around the party once again, surrounded by harsh laughter and loud, booming music. Around him was a crowd of strangers, each one desperate to get to know him, but as he thought to the enigmatic stranger that he’d shared a moment on the balcony with, Tony was surrounded with discontent.

“I do hope you weren’t cutting out on me,” Maya stepped forward placing a plastic white and golden trimmed hat upon his head. With her words Tony surveyed the gala once again knowing full well that the best opportunity he’d happened upon in years had passed him by.

“And miss the countdown?” Tony flashed her the same smile that the world expected of him. With her within his reach positioning the hat, Tony discarded his hopes for ringing the new year with the old fallback of spending time with his guest, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Neither would I,” she laughed exuberantly revealing that she too had been indulging in the spirits around her, “It seems that from here on out I’m yours for the rest of the evening.”

“Lucky me,” Tony’s grin expanded as his heart flopped. He looked around the party again, hoping for a sign, for a clue as to an indication of where his companion had rushed off to.

“You okay pal?” Happy questioned moving to his left side to pat him on the shoulder, “Something happen?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Tony confessed with a sigh forcing himself to face the reality that fate had once again tempted him with the promise of something more before forcing him to retreat into the expected, playing his part with the world at his feet praising the man that they expected him to be. Clearing his throat again, Tony faced Maya again knowing that she was a pale comparison to his sultry companion out on the balcony. Yes, he would smile and flirt, give her what he gave them all, but in the back of his mind, he’d always find himself caught up in the what if knowing full well that the moment wasn’t nearly enough.

“Goodbye Anthony,” Loki whispered from his position across the party, watching as Tony’s destiny moved back on track taking Tony through the changes that he was going to experience on a night that had defined his life.

It had been cruel to send Loki here, to show him a place with someone he was certain he could never be with, but now as he watched Tony step up to mesmerize the others around him, Loki slipped into the shadows knowing only too well that he couldn’t live his life on what if. Yes, the moment hadn’t been planned—hadn’t been something that Loki should’ve allowed, but if only for a brief instant, the fate could be damned as Loki was certain he wouldn’t allow himself to face the end of the world living on what if. Tonight, he’d changed things, but none of that mattered as it would be all Loki needed to move forward in his attempt to save the world all the while knowing that the odds were stacked against him.


End file.
